AGENCY TESTIMONY
Intro 373: Extending vehicle retirement dates for taxis
0:17:50
ยท
97 sec
Commissioner Do addresses Intro 373, which proposes allowing taxi owners to extend their vehicle retirement dates during the COVID-19 state of emergency. He explains the TLC's position on the bill and the challenges it presents.
- TLC has already processed 3,777 vehicle retirement extensions from 2020 through 2023
- The COVID-19 state of emergency has lapsed, potentially nullifying the bill's intended impact
- TLC opposes the bill due to concerns about meeting accessibility mandates and potential conflicts with a federal court order
David Do
0:17:50
Intro March would allow taxi owners to extend their vehicle retirement dates during the COVID nineteen state of emergency declared by the governor.
0:17:58
TLC understands the financial hardship that many drivers and vehicle owners sustained during the pandemic.
0:18:04
TLC already has processed for vehicle retirement extensions and granted 3,777, during the aftermath of COVID from 2020 through 2023, granting 90% of extension applications over that period.
0:18:20
Additionally, TLC recently amended its rules to eliminate retirement schedules for wheelchair accessible vehicles in an effort to increase the number of wheelchair accessible vehicles on the road while also providing vehicle owners financial relief.
0:18:36
As to the proposed bills, the COVID nineteen state of emergency has long since lapsed.
0:18:41
So it appears that this bill would no longer have the desired impact on retirement dates.
0:18:46
More generally, because of the new wave requirements discussed earlier and a federal court order, we have serious concerns that any retirement extensions for non accessible vehicles would risk the taxi industry failing to meet, our accessibility mandates discussed earlier.
0:19:03
In other words, if a non accessible vehicle is scheduled for retirement and replaced by an accessible vehicle, extending that vehicle's retirement would prevent another wheelchair accessible vehicle from being put into service, reducing accessibility and causing TLC to run afoul of a federal court order.
0:19:22
For these reasons, TLC opposes intro three seventy three.